| Note: | Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/battleofwavregr00kell |
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So much has been written on the WaterlooCampaign that, even in the smallest details,nothing new can be revealed; but the dazzlingmagnitude of the great battle itself has obscureda part of the campaign which is seldom studied—thebattle against Thielemann, and Grouchy’sskilful retreat from Wavre.
I have chosen this tail-end of the campaignbecause little is known about it; because it servesuseful lessons even for to-day; because the operationsleading up to the battle round Wavre areof great interest; and because a campaign full ofmistakes should be studied as carefully as a campaignfree from error. From history we obtainexperience, and experience teaches us how to actfor the future. We learn how great men of oldtime fought their battles and managed theirretreats; we see the reasons of their successes andtheir failures; and we should endeavour to makeuse of our lessons when our own time comes.viNot that Grouchy can be deemed a great soldier;nor can his part of the 1815 campaign be regardedas of prime importance in itself; but as showingthe small trifles that mar great plans in theirexecution, as showing how little a thing will sometimesdestroy the grandest conceptions, his operationsfrom 16th June to the end of the monthare well worthy of attention.
I might have employed my time more profitablyhad I chosen to work upon some moreillustrious name than Grouchy’s, or upon somemore modern campaign of greater advantage tothe war student of to-day; but I chose to bringforward an obscure page in the history of themost famous campaign, for in that history thereis much that may still be laid to heart.
Great deeds deserve great critics, but, asColonel Henderson wrote in his Preface to“Stonewall Jackson,” “if we were to wait forthose who are really qualified to deal with theachievements of famous captains, we should, as arule, remain in ignorance of the lessons of theirlives, for men of the requisite capacity are few ina generation.” Man is not so fortunate that hecan live in every period; and for knowledge heviimust go backwards to search in history. The